St Thomas à Becket
Pews News
Priest-in-Charge: The Reverend Lucy Sullivan
Tel: 01243 941 551 Email: mthrlucy.pagham@gmail.com (Rest day: Friday)
Licensed Lay Minister: Mrs Rosemary Towse
Email: rosemarytowse@talktalk.net
Churchwarden: Mr Alex Brockhurst
Tel: 07792 544259; Email: alex.brockhurst@hotmail.co.uk
Churchwarden: Mrs Sue O’Neill
Tel: 07867 904780; Email: suesdesignservices@gmail.com
Safeguarding Officer: Mrs Jan Brockhurst
Email: safeguarding@paghamchurch.org
Find us online: www.paghamchurch.org // StThomasPagham@gmail.com// @StThomasPagham
Registered charity number 1134842
SUNDAY 15tH OCTOBER 2023
The Feast of the Dedication
Sunday 15th 08:00 Holy Communion (Aldwick & Pagham)
TRINITY 19 09:30 Parish Eucharist with Sunday School
followed by coffee
14:00 Holy Baptism- Maxwell and Olivia
16:00 Getting to know St Paul (Pagham church)
17:30 Evening Prayer (Pagham church)
Monday 16th 09:00 Morning Prayer (Pagham Church)
17:30 Evening Prayer (St Richard’s Church)
19:30 Adult Confirmation Class-
(Pagham Church Centre, Nyetimber Lane)
Tuesday 17th 10:00 Eucharist (St Richard’s)
St Ignatius 18:00 Evening Prayer (Pagham Church)
19:00 Confirmation at St Mary’s, Clymping
Wednesday 18th 12:30 Funeral- Sheila Ridgewell
ST LUKE 18:00 Evening Prayer (Pagham Church)
Thursday 19th 09:00 Morning Prayer (Pagham Church)
Henry Martyn 10:00 Holy Communion (Pagham Church)
Friday 20th No public worship today
Saturday 21st 10:00 Holy Communion Class
Sunday 22nd 08:00 Holy Communion (Aldwick only)
TRINITY 20 09:30 Parish Eucharist followed by coffee
16:00 Getting to know St Paul (Pagham church)
17:30 Evening Prayer (Pagham church)
The Collection plate– If you would like to make an offering, please use the contactless Payaz machine or the collection plate, both can be found by the door. Thank you for your generosity.
Hymns
Introit: SHEET: Be thou my vision
Gradual: 408 Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour
Offertory: SHEET: How deep the Father’s love for us
Final: 252 Guide me, O thou great redeemer
The Collect (Opening Prayer) for the Feast of the Dedication:
Almighty God, to whose glory we celebrate the dedication of this house of prayer:
we praise you for the many blessings you have given to those who worship you here: and we pray that all who seek you in this place may find you, and, being filled with the Holy Spirit, may become a living temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Old Testament reading: 1 Kings 8: 22- 30
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven. He said, ‘O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart, the covenant that you kept for your servant my father David as you declared to him; you promised with your mouth and have this day fulfilled with your hand. Therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant my father David that which you promised him, saying, “There shall never fail you a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.” Therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you promised to your servant my father David.
‘But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built! Have regard to your servant’s prayer and his plea, O Lord my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today; that your eyes may be open night and day towards this house, the place of which you said, “My name shall be there”, that you may heed the prayer that your servant prays towards this place. Hear the plea of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray towards this place; O hear in heaven your dwelling-place; heed and forgive.
Psalm 122 The response to the psalm is as announced.
New Testament Reading: Hebrews 12: 18- 24
You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them. (For they could not endure the order that was given, ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death.’ Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I tremble with fear.’)But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 21: 12- 16
Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, ‘It is written,
“My house shall be called a house of prayer”;
but you are making it a den of robbers.’
The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’, they became angry and said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read,
“Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies
you have prepared praise for yourself”?’
Prayers of Intercession
The sick and those who care for them: Barbara & Alan Crew, Karen Cox, Sheila King, Dawn Spurway Pearson, Mike Hatzfeld, Elizabeth, Pam Browning, Julie Green and Lucia.
Recently departed: Sheila Ridgewell.
Anniversary of death: Roger Gilbert (16th); Eileen Share (18th); Patricia Martin (19th); Ethel Williams; Leonora Gibson, Lyn Paul (21st).
For those to be baptised among them Rupert, for his parents and Godparents.
We pray for peace and especially for and with the people of Ukraine. We pray for all those caught up in conflict, and for those seeking safety and refuge on these shores.
We pray for Ford Prison: for prisoners, staff and their families, in Prisons week.
For urgent prayer, contact Gillian Purvis (267597) or Pat Rush (262561) to start the Prayer Chain.
Post Communion Prayer: Father in heaven, whose Church on earth is a sign of your heavenly peace, an image of the new and eternal Jerusalem: grant to us in the days of our pilgrimage that, fed with the living bread of heaven, and united in the body of your Son, we may be the temple of your presence, the place of your glory on earth, and a sign of your peace in the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Next week’s readings: Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
Isaiah 45: 1- 7; Psalm 96: 1- 9; 1 Thessalonians 1: 1- 10; Matthew 22: 15- 22
Letters for collection
There is a letter for collection for every church member of the Electoral Roll, with extra copies available for those who are not yet on the roll. This outlines some of the hopes and aspirations for the next season of the church and how you can be a part of this. Please do collect your copy from a member of the PCC at the end of the service. If you are not worshipping with us today, your letter will be available for collection from the church throughout the week or hand delivered by a willing volunteer!
2022 Link to Hope Shoebox Appeal
Are you able to provide empty shoeboxes for us to fill- please? boxes can be left at the back of church. Many thanks!
Leaflets are now available at the back of the church. Please bring boxes to church by Sunday 5th November. Pick up a leaflet and fill a box – or if you feel that you cannot fill a whole box, perhaps you could supply some items or money towards the transport costs. Every little helps. Details – Trudi Kearsley 263597/07703597353.
Confirmation
Please pray for our candidates preparing for Confirmation with Bishop Ruth on the 17th October 19:00 at St Mary’s Clymping. Suzi, Natalie and Michelle. All are welcome to join us on the 17th to support them.
‘Come & Sing’ Saturday 21st October
On Saturday 21st October 10-11am there is a ‘Come & Sing’ morning for children in school years 4-9. To experience what it might be like to sing in a church and choir. Organist, Arthur will lead the children in fun singing games and exercises, the children will get a feel for singing in the choir stalls and hearing their voices sing out in the church. Parents are to stay while the children sing- coffee and refreshments will be provided. This is a free event, with no on-going commitment expected at this time. Please spread the word to neighbours and friends with children of the right age.
Yr7 Church Support Letters for 2024 admissions
Mthr Lucy will be available to meet with children and parents seeking Yr7 admission church support on Saturday 21st October from 11am- 12noon at Pagham Church. Please let Mthr Lucy know you will be attending. If you miss this session, please contact Mthr Lucy.
Pastoral Visiting- Saturday 4th November
On Saturday 4th November there will be a meeting for all those who would like to join a Pastoral Visiting team for the parish. We will meet with friends from Pagham church in St Andrew’s Chapel at 11am- for coffee, conversation about the nature of pastoral visiting and briefing about how pastoral visiting will work going forward. This is an important gathering for those who have previously been involved with visiting, taking home communion to the housebound, and also for those who would like to get involved with this ministry. Please speak to Mthr Lucy if you are interested in joining. Please note for safeguarding and good practice it is essential that individuals both meet with Mthr Lucy prior to the training and engage with this meeting before starting visiting- if you are unable to attend this session but are still interested please let Mthr Lucy know.
Admission to Holy Communion 2023
Sessions continue on Saturday mornings 10:00- 11:00 at Pagham church, on the 21st and 28th October. The children will be admitted to Holy Communion in a special service at 16:30 on All Saints’ Sunday – 5th November. Please pray for our candidates: Noah, Joseph, Woody, Teddy, Nicholas and Rufus.
Getting to know Paul
Starting this Sunday we will be running a study course on the writings of St Paul- the dates of these sessions are Sunday 15th & 22nd October and 12th & 19th November, at 16:00 in St Andrew’s Chapel at Pagham Church. All Welcome!
Christmas Fair Saturday 2nd December in the Church Centre. More details available next week!